Purpose of the Cross
Purpose of the Cross by Gary Glass
What is the purpose of the cross? This is the most important question, which anyone can asked. Before, we ascend to
the hill of Mt. Zion(Jerusalem), we need to go down to the foot of Mt. Sinai, where God gave Moses the Law or the Ten
Commandments. God said, "Ye shall do my judgements, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the
Lord your God. Ye shall therefore keep my statues, and my judgements: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I
am the Lord."
The Law is holy, and just, and good; it is like God who made it, it is a perfect law. (Romans 7:12). Charles
Spurgeon said, " If men had kept the covenant of the Lord,- if Adam, for instance, had kept it in the garden of Eden,
the rose would have been without a thorn to tear his flesh, and the enjoyment of life would never have been marred
by the bitterness of toil or grief."
The Bible says, "The Law is perfect converting the soul," Psalm 19:7 KJV. When people asked Jesus, "What shall I
do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus would respond by saying, "What is written in the Law?"
or "You know the commandments." He would even list the Ten Commandments.
In Luke 10:25, a certain lawyer asked him,"What shall I do to inherit
eternal life." Then, Jesus asked him how he interpeted the Law or Ten
Commandments. The lawyer said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and
with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus answered," Thou
has answered right: this do and thou shalt live."
Therefore, all we have to do is obey the Ten Commandments or the
Law, and we will have eternal life. However, there is a problem. The
Bible claims,"As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one."
Romans 3:10. You might say, " I never killed anyone," but the bible
says, "Whosover hates his brother is a murderer," 1 John 3:15. Another,
might say, " I never cheated on my wife." However, Jesus says,
"Whosoever, looks on a woman to lust after her, has committed
adultery with here in his heart." Matthew 5:28. In the book of James,
it states," Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one
point, he is guilty of all." James 2:10.
Finally, I hope you see that you are guilty under the Law. We have
broken all Ten Commandments in thought, word, and deed. We are
without excuse. Dead in our sins. Objects of God's wrath or children of
wrath.(Ephesians 2:3) However, there is hope. God has provided a way.
"But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us,"
(Ephesians 2:4). God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for
your sins and mine. "But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were
far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ" (Ephesians 2:13). So,
we need to make our peace with God by trusting His Son Jesus for
salvation. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ"(Romans 5:1). Do it today!
